Jaclyn DeForge, our Resident Literacy Expert, began her career teaching first and second grade in the South Bronx, and went on to become a literacy coach and earn her Masters of Science in Teaching. In her column she offers teaching and literacy tips for educators.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting with a literacy expert who was SUPER involved with the creation of the Common Core Standards (!!!!!), and she gave me some important feedback about the Appendix B supplement  I posted last week. To refresh your memory, what we’ve done is compiled a supplement to Appendix B that includes both contemporary literature and authors/characters of color, and that also meets the criteria (complexity, quality, range) used by the authors of the Common Core. We were lucky enough to have this literacy expert take a look at our supplement, and she gave some great suggestions:

1. The texts selected for Read Aloud can be outside the text complexity bands for each grade cluster.
2. Texts that are Read Aloud in lower grades can be read as Independent Reading in upper grades.

We’ve incorporated these ideas into our Appendix B supplement. So, without further ado, click here for a PDF of our new and improved multicultural supplement to the Common Core’s Appendix B.

Know who else is excited about the updated Appendix B list? This guy:

Further Reading:

What’s in your classroom? Rethinking Common Core recommended texts

Why Window and Mirror Books are Important for All Readers

Filed under: Curriculum Corner, Resources Tagged: appendix b, Book Lists, common core standards, common core standards appendix b, common core standards ela appendix b, common core standards language arts appendix b, diversity, Educators, exemplar texts appendix B, guided reading, independent reading, multicultural books, Read Alouds, Reading Aloud, reading comprehension, smiling dogs

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Kaolin, the author of Talking About Race (publisher: Crandall, Dostie & Douglass Books, Inc.), contacted me about her book, and I thought it sounded so interesting that I told her to send it to me. And I’m so glad she did. This post is going to be a little different than my normal posts about books you can use with students (you could probably use this with teens and college-age students)–I am going to share the book with you and tell you how to use it, but I will show you examples straight from the pages of the book. I also want to share with you a little of the author’s story. So, here we go. . .

Kaolin was born Patricia Anne Graham, and she legally changed her name to Kaolin with no surname in 1991. She has had many jobs in her life: a waitress, a singer, a writer, and a teacher. She’s worked in adolescent programs with teens with disabilities and in politics. She has also worked on a tree farm. In 1994, she designed and taught a course titled, “Let’s Talk About Race: Confronting Racism Through Education,” which after many years became this book I’m talking about today.

The book is divided into seven chapters with a “writing interval” at the beginning. It is written for “white people working to achieve racial equality in their lives, and to readers of color who would like insight into psychological and social experiences white people encounter.” Personally, I find this perspective fascinating–as a white woman, I never thought it appropriate or even necessary to address the concerns and topics that Kaolin discusses in her book. But after reading it, I see that it is, and I saw myself and my feelings in the pages of her book–especially when I was younger. I can see youth groups, book clubs, college classes, and more reading and studying this book. It will start conversations that need to be had. I hope that I can discuss these issues with my stepson soon and with my daughter when she is older. And as the cover states, it does not just have to be white people–it can be all races working together.

As Kaolin states in her introduction about why she wrote it: “Because learning how to talk about racism is hard. Most of us ‘react’ to it first. . . The lack of thought that has gone into many white people’s position about racism is amazing to me. . . Talking About Race meets that need.”

She begins with recognizing racism with lists that describe what a racist believes and with a section that even addresses, “How do you know you whether or not you are a racist?” The next chapter is titled “Resisting Racism,” which can actually bring up many uncomfortable feelings–especially when children/teens are faced with racism from parents or other loved ones, and they don’t know how to confront these beliefs or even act around the person. Kaolin gives some ideas for figuring this out. She continues this theme in the “Defenses and Insecurities” chapter.

The book goes on through real-life examples and encouraging prose, as well as pages of thinking questions with room to write answers, to face racism head on and understand how it can affect people in a family and in a community. Kaolin forces people to also look at themselves and how behaviors can either promote or stop racism. It’s not a book intended for people to feel bad about themselves or members of their family. It’s a book written to get people talking and thinking and hopefully changing hurtful behaviors.

I highly recommend using Talking About Race with teens and college-age students. I think it is perfect for a home school group, a church youth group, a community group like Boys and Girls Club, and more. It’s well-done!

Here are a few of the questions from it that get adults and children USING the book:

• If you woke up this morning and there had been no racism in your life, how would your life have been different?
• Have you ever feared someone because of his or her color? Have you been fearful of anyone because of your color?
• With respect to your own color, would you say you were born lucky?
• Do you think white people have no problems?
• In order to correct a racist situation, I would need. . .

Check it out on Amazon or at Kaolin’s website if you don’t believe me!

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Kindness speaks the words, Your heart could never speak. Your wings hold me up, And give me strength when I am weak. The warmth of your protection, Brings music to my heart. You open up the doors, You show me where to start. ~ Anne Marie Cline In last week’s Bur Bur and Friends multicultural [...]

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*Middle-grade historical fiction with Christian themes (WWII)
*13-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: Last Page in the Diary will really appeal to girls who like historical fiction and like writing in their diaries. It is a great book to use in a home school or Christian school setting as so many tweens deal with this question: “How can God let bad things happen?” This book is especially great because it also teaches about history!

Short, short summary:

(From the Guardian Angel Publishing website (sorry! I am pressed for time tonight.): “Thirteen-year-old Patricia (Pat) Kelly bargains with God. If He will bring her best friend Mike (Yoshi Mizuki) home from a desert (Japanse Internment) prison camp and make things like they were before the war, maybe she can start trusting Him again. The war ends, but hate and persecution continue.” (There’s also a part of this book written in journal style!)

So what do I do with this book?

1. If students do not know much about the period of history this book covers, then have them research different things mentioned in the book, such as Pearl Harbor Day or the Japanese Internment Camps. Students can write reports, do Power Point presentations, create posters, or some other way to share information with students.

2. Have readers ever felt the way Pat or Mike do in the novel–either with their relationship with God or as a victim of bullying/racism? These are great journal writing topics and discussion topics for tweens. Through the characters in this book, tweens may feel more comfortable talking about and/or writing about these issues and comparing/contrasting their experiences with the ones in the novel.

3. If students were involved in an essay contest, what would they write about? And why? You can even hold your own essay contest if you want to. . .:)

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I have so many books to review that it’s time to do a round up! First, I must apologize to all three of these lovely authors that it has taken me this long to mention your books and showcase them on my blog. I am working on a new, better system (aren’t we all?), so that I will not get so backed up in the future. Anyway, let’s get on to these lovely books. I will share a brief summary, who should read, and a couple discussion points for them. Here we go!

Chigger by Raymond Bial is a well-written book with a touch of humor about a new girl moving into town (in Southern Indiana) in the 1950s, and she is not readily accepted, especially moving in April and starting school “about seven months late.” She insists on being called Eddie and on wearing jeans to school, and she cusses (word of warning–read this book before your children/students to make sure you are okay with language or want to talk to them about it), and fights. So, she’s not your typical girl, which makes her a great literary character! The point of view character has a great voice–he’s a fifth-grade boy, Luke, so this book will appeal to boys (it’s probably more upper mid-grade or tween), and he kind of likes this new girl, which makes him a great character, too. She gets the nickname Chigger from a humorous character, Buzz, because “you’re just a dang bug and you sure get under my skin.”

This book has some serious issues in it and is inspired by actual events. Chigger is obviously poor and always hungry, although she is super independent. She and her mom are running from an abusive father. She is picked on and ostracized for being different and new. It also explores friendship and standing up for what’s right. I see this as the perfect book for a parent and child to read together and discuss because it will bring up issues that the child may be dealing with in a non-threatening way!

The Wild Soccer Bunch Book 3: Zoe the Fearless by Joachim Masannek and illustrated by Jan Brick is part of a series of books titled, The Wild Soccer Bunch. These books are endorsed by a professional soccer player, Landon Donovan, and have quite a bit of merchandise to go with them, which can be found on an extensive website here. In the third super cute book, Zoe’s mother has passed away, and she and her father are moving to Chicago. Zoe wants to play on the boys’ team–not on the girls–and so her father signs her up with the Wild Soccer Bunch, who aren’t too crazy about playing with a girl. She has to prove herself. Plus there’s Grandma, who is busy trying to get Zoe to be more like a girl.

Obviously this is the perfect book for anyone who likes soccer. (There are quite a few illustrations, so this would probably be beg. middle-grade/maybe even chapter book.) I also like it because it showcases girls in sports. We all know girls play and love sports! So why not have a book to celebrate this?! You can discuss all sorts of things with this book, including death and dying, sportsmanship, moving, practice for sports (hard work), individuality, being true to yourself, and more.

Pipper’s Secret Ingredient by Jane Murphy and Allison Fingerhuthand illustrated by Neal Sharp is a delightful chapter book with plenty of illustrations for readers who are ready to step into something harder than a picture book, but still feeling apprehensive about reading novels. Pipper is a dog who blogs! She blogs about food–of course–and the book starts out with her blog. She is actually looking for an interesting blog post topic, and she decides that she will search for a secret ingredient. As she travels around and blogs, she visits some interesting places such as Egypt, New York City, Paris, and the Orient Express. She has her friends, too, a cast of characters who readers are introduced to in the very beginning that help her with her adventure.

This is the perfect book for children to learn more about places all over the world, blogging and using the Internet for research, and what is truly important to an individual. I’m telling you that kids will LOVE THIS BOOK! I love holding it and looking at it. It is so shiny. You definitely don’t want to miss this!

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A message from Literary Agent Adriana Dominguez,

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“A refugee’s life is never an easy one, but it’s especially tough on young people who are robbed of what should be the most formative, promising, and exciting years of their lives. At a time when they should be full of hopes and dreams for the future, they are instead faced with the harsh reality of displacement and privation. . .”
–United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

What I like about this book for middle grade readers is that it gives a voice to the war that students are always hearing about on television–especially in political news lately since the Obama administration is working to get troops out of Iraq. Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees isn’t about soldiers or political agendas or terrorists or presidents–it’s about the innocent victims of any war–children. I also like that this book, like last Monday’s book: Our New Home: Immigrant Children Speak , let’s the children’s voices be heard. The children and teens are telling their own stories.

In Children of War by Deborah Ellis, the author also gives some background to readers before each child’s essay/story, so that readers can understand important issues in the child’s story. For example, in the first story in the book from Hibba, 16, it is important for readers to understand that Islam is divided into different groups just like the Christian religion is (Catholic, Protestant, etc). Two of the Islam groups are Sunni and Shia. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni Muslim. In Hibba’s case, her mother is Sunni. Her father is Shia, and they are applying to live in the United States. Readers learn all of this information from Ellis’s introduction. Then, you hear Hibba’s story in her own words–about fleeing to Jordan, about her father being kidnapped and killed, about applying for asylum in the United States. Powerful stuff–especially for middle grade readers.

Here’s a quote from R, 18, that I think says a lot to children and adults. R. is an Iraqi Kurdish teenager living in Canada. He says: “When Canadian kids–the ones who have always been here and have a good life–start complaining to me about the little things that bother them, I just think, ‘You have no idea.’ ” And he lets you know what it’s like for him to be a refugee in his own words. Again–powerful stuff.

Books like Children of War by Deborah Ellis need to be shared with children of all ages. It takes education and understanding to solve these problems that war has created, to break down racial barriers, and to have sympathy/empathy for other people. These are stories of survival from the youngest victims. They can give anyone strength and hope.

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By Kristie Leung

Although this was our second year participating at the Beijing International Book Fair, I still could not help being overwhelmed by the amount of traffic our booth generated. There were plenty of times when I turned around after talking with fellow fairgoers to find our display shelves were nearly empty because all the books were in the hands of folks browsing our books. A few of their favorites were the Boxcar Children© Mysteries, Robert E. Wells series, and The Way I Feel series.

When I was able to steal a few minutes on day three from all the scheduled meetings with local publishers, distributors, and agents, I strolled around the exhibition halls a little. The most interesting part of this book fair is that exhibitions are mainly separated into two main sections – the international exhibitors and the domestic Chinese exhibitors. The set up of the international hall (where we were located) was divided by each country with their own pavilions. Upon entering the Chinese hall, visitors were greeted by three floors of local publishing houses, grouped by their provinces, along with special pavilions of India (the Guest of Honor country this year) and Digital. Many provinces had beautiful pavilions with a touch of their local flavors.  I will let the photos speak for themselves here.

Click to view slideshow.

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Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli with illustrations by Caldecott Honor Winner, Kadir Nelson, is about the great Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Muta Maathai, from Kenya. I have written about her on my blog before because this is one woman that I just REALLY admire, and I think her story is important to share with children. She helped Kenyan women and children by suggesting they plant trees and getting back in touch with nature. She educated herself and then went back to her country to show girls that they can too educate themselves and work for the common good. If anyone deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, it’s certainly Wangari.

This book is a little different than Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

in that Mama Miti focuses mostly on how women came from all over Kenya to ask Wangari for help. Her advice was to plant certain types of trees to take care of the problems the women were having. If the woman complained of a lack of food, Wangari told her to plant a tree and gave her seeds. If the woman complained of the cattle being sick, Wangari told her to plant a certain type of tree with leaves that cure disease. Mama Miti shows how nature can really provide and make a difference, and how strong women can also take care of themselves–especially with a little guidance from someone as knowledgeable and loving as Wangari Maathai.

This book also has wonderful illustrations by Kadir Nelson and resources and author’s notes in the back as well as a glossary of Kikuyu terms, which are used throughout the book.

Why share Mama Miti with your students or children? Use this book to start a discussion about how people can take care of themselves and maybe with a little help–it reminds me of the organization, Heifer International. You can also talk about the importance of planting trees and taking care of nature as well as going green tips. This book can also bring up a history lesson about how much people used to rely on nature, crops, and so on in the past when there weren’t grocery stores to visit or farmers growing food for all of us. You can also use this book to teach about a strong and wonderful woman who can be a role model for young girls all around the world.

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Through my job with WOW! Women On Writing, I get to interview many interesting writers. One writer I recently interviewed, Caleb Collier, won 2nd place in WOW!’s flash fiction contest. (To see the interview, click here.) But I’m not writing about him today because he placed in a flash fiction contest. I am writing about Caleb because he brought my attention to a nonprofit organization he works for called, Give Us Names.

According to their website, Give Us Names “is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization seeking to improve the lives of displaced Colombians. Our goal is to tell their stories in such a way that those who hear them will not rest until displacement ends, justice is brought to the perpetrators, and the rights of the displaced are recognized and protected.” I completely agree with them that this is the way to touch people and to get people to help–you have to tell personal stories. It’s the same principal the authors in Half the Sky used to draw attention to the atrocities that are STILL happening to women and girls around the world. Give Us Names is making a series of films about these displaced Colombians, and they plan to distribute their films everywhere to get the word out about what is going on. Part of the problem for so many victims is that people aren’t aware that these issues are even a problem. Education, as I’ve said before, is one of the first keys to stopping the violence and crime around the world.

You can watch a heartbreaking, 3-minute video that Give Us Names has created here. The video introduces you to what Give Us Names is trying to do–tell each person’s story, give these people a name and a voice, and draw attention to a problem, so that people can work together to solve a problem in Colombia. Fiinally, if this touches you, Give Us Names has a donation spot on their website, and you can also buy t-shirts.

I also have a couple of announcements today. . .

1. On Friday, I will be reviewing and providing activities/discussion ideas for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. And even better yet. . .I will be holding a comment contest for a chance to win this popular book! So, check back on Friday–even if you’ve already read it, you can win it for a library or classroom donation!

2. At the National Writing For Children Center, Suzanne Lieurance has so many creative and affordable ways to promote you and your book (if you are a published author). She is a genius, really! Click on the banner below for more information. Get the word out about your children’s book, so teachers, parents, and kids can start reading it and using it!

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For the first time this year, we participated in the Sharjah Book Fair, which hosts nearly 800 publishing houses from around the world. We are regulars at Bologna, Frankfurt, and Beijing, but the Middle East is a new opportunity for us. The plan had been to work with our friends at Combined Book Exhibit and send 30-40 books we felt would be best suited for Arab countries. CBE would handle the rest.

The plan changed—rather dramatically— when we learned that How Many Donkeys?: An Arabic Counting Tale, by Margaret Read MacDonald with Nadia Jameel Taibah, and illustrated by Carol Liddiment, had won the first “Award for the Best English Language Children’s Book exhibited at the SIBF.” The award would be presented by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi at the Fair and included an all-expenses paid trip for company President, John Quattrocchi. So off he went, excited to see the Fair and the country.

One of the key differences that John noted about the Sharjah Fair and the other International fairs is that it was a mix of a consumer show (where parents, teachers, and librarians push shopping carts around the hall making purchases) and a trade show (where publishers introduce new product to vendors and opinion makers). We sent 5 copies each of about 40 books to the show. We exhibited with the Combined Book Exhibit, who then sold the books through a local retailer: Jashanmal Bookstores.

John accepted the award – which included a very heavy trophy (the general response here at the office was something along the lines of “Holy Moley”), a certificate and a cash prize of approximately $2500. The awards ceremony would be very familiar with most people: a banquet of 500 people at round tables of 8-10 people. The ceremony was conducted in Arabic, but there were headphones for translation. His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi was the key note speaker and with a new book of his own available, he also signed a few books after the ceremony.

The Sheikh, as leader of Sharjah, started the Sharjah Fair 29 years ago to promote literacy in his country, as well as the regional publishing industry. In fact, they have a very high literacy rate for the region, especially among women—about 90% for women and 80% for men. The inclusion of the new children’s book award is a continuation of his mission.

Sharjah is one of the United Arab Emirates, so on the trip John also visited locations in both Sharjah and nearby Dubai. Both emirates are very modern, with Dubai being the better known and more Western. I was, of course, ve

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Hola La Bloga readers, today I want to share some curriculum guides developed for my books. You can use these ideas in the classroom or at home.

From North to South/Del Norte al Sur

A picture book (suggested for ages 4-8 and older), From North to South/Del Norte al Sur (by Rene Colato Lainez) tells the story of Jose and his Papa, who are going to visit Jose’s mother who is living just across the border in Tijuana, after being arrested at work for not having papers giving her permission to work in the United States.

• Download the Discussion Guide by Cheryll Wallace for From North to South.

Cheryll Wallace is a Religious Education Director at First Unitarian Church of Omaha, former PSD Board member, and leader of the PSD GRACE (Growing Racial And Cultural Equity) Team.

The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez

Move over, Tooth Fairy! El Ratón Pérez is in town!

Most children in the U.S. are familiar with the Tooth Fairy, but children in Spain and Latin America grow up with a different tradition. In these regions, an adventurous mouse, El Ratón Pérez, collects children’s lost teeth from their pillows.

This curriculum guide was created by LEIGH COURTNEY, Ph.D. She teaches first and second grade in the Global Education program at a public elementary school in San Diego, California. She holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in education, with an emphasis on Curriculum and Instruction.  

* Download 

 Curriculum Guide: The Tooth Fairy Meets El Ratón Pérez 

 

Playing Lotería/ El juego de la Lotería

In this charming story, a little boy visits his grandmother in Mexico. With

0 Comments on Teacher's Guides- René Colato Laínez Books as of 1/1/1900

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I would like to welcome, Patti Wheeler, co-author of the Travels with Gannon and Wyatt adventure series to my blog today. Patti is giving away a copy of the first book in the series, Botswana. To win a copy of this well-written book in “journal-style” that kids will just eat up, please leave a comment or question for Patti by next Sunday, January 30 at 8 pm below in the comments section. One winner (who lives in either the United States of Canada) will be chosen and a book will be mailed to her. Middle-grade readers, boys and girls, will love this book!

On to the interview. . .

Patti Wheeler feels her greatest accomplishment is being the mother to twins Gannon and Wyatt. Her priority has been to educate, nurture, and to help the boys develop the important qualities of generosity, leadership, and compassion. For years, it has been Patti’s goal to create a children’s book series that instills the spirit of exploration in young people. Travels with Gannon and Wyatt is the realization of her dream. (Future books include adventures in the Great Bear Rainforest, Egypt and the Serengeti.) In addition to the book series, Patti is the founder of Claim Stake Productions/Publishing, executive producer and director of the TV pilot Travels with Gannon and Wyatt Off the Beaten Path: Egypt and co-wrote, with Keith Hemstreet, the screenplay Botswana, which was an official selection of the 2010 Beverly Hills Film Festival. Patti lives in Aspen, Colorado with her husband and sons.

The first book set in Botswana introduces you to Gannon and Wyatt and the journal format as the brothers find themselves faced with a poacher while on an African Safari. Will Gannon and Wyatt stop the poacher in time? A perfect book for boys (and girls!).

Margo: Welcome, Patti, thanks for visiting with me about Travels with Gannon and Wyatt. Where did you get the idea for Travels with Gannon & Wyatt: Botswana?

Patti: I got the idea one year while traveling with my family. I was thinking about all the fascinating and wonderful places we were visiting each year. We wanted to share our incredible adventures with the world, and what better way of doing that than through books and video.

Margo: I completely agree. What other books are planned for the series?

Patti: The books that are already planned for the series are Great Bear Rainforest, Egypt, Greenland, Iceland, Tanzania, and there are six more being discussed (including possibly China, India, the South Pacific, and the American West).

Margo: WOW! Sounds awesome! Who are the perfect readers for this book and the sequels?

Patti: 4th-12th graders who are interested in travel or adventure–our sweet spot is grades 4 through 8.

Margo: What can children learn from reading Travels with Gannon & Wyatt?

Patti: Children can learn that the world is their classroom, and “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” (Mark Twain). Children can also learn to explore, help their communities, and embrace diversity through philanthropy.

Margo: I love that Mark Twain quote! What are two or three activities children can do that come from reading this book?

Patti: This book offers students the opportunity to read and turn in book reports in school. Children are introduced to the Youth Exploration Society (Y.E.S.) in the book, which promotes giving back to communities, encourages exploration, and supports a clean and healthy environment. Also, reading this book encourages readers to ge

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El día de los niños/el día de los Libros: Building a Culture of Literacy in Your Community
by Jeanette Larson

    •    Pub. Date: May 2011
    •    Publisher: ALA Editions
    •    Format: Paperback , 138pp
    •    ISBN-13: 9780838935996
    •    ISBN: 0838935990

A celebration of children, families, and reading held annually since 1996, Children's Day/Book Day, known as Día, emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In anticipation of Día's fifteenth anniversary, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) presents a collection of the best of its Día programming ideas, offering
• A wealth of ready-to-use programs, easily adaptable for a variety of cultures
• Cultural competency training tips to encourage outreach to minority populations
• Interviews with library directors about the best ways to heighten awareness of cultural and literacy issues Complemented by numerous bilingual book suggestions, this resource is perfect for collection development, early literacy storytimes, and year-round program planning.



Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children's Literature and Literacy in Classrooms and Libraries
by Jamie Campbell Naidoo (Editor)

    •    Pub. Date: November 2010
    •    Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
    •    Format: Hardcover , 381pp
    •    Series: Children's and Young Adult Literature Reference
    •    ISBN-13: 9781591589044
    •    ISBN: 1591589045

Latinos are the fastest growing and largest ethnic minority in the United States. The number of Latino children is at a historic high. As a result, librarians and teachers in the United States must know how to meet the informational, cultural, and traditional literacy needs of this student demographicgroup. An ideal way to overcome this challenge is by providing culturally accurate and authentic children's literature that represents the diversity of the Latino cultures.
Much more than simply a topical bibliography, this book details both historical and current practices in educating Latino children; explains why having quality Latino children's literature in classrooms and libraries is necessary for the ethnic identity development of Latino children; and offers a historical overview of Latino children's literature in America. Web resources of interest to educators working with Latino children are also included.


Multicultural Literature and Response: Affirming Diverse Voices
by Lynn Atkinson Smolen, Ruth A. Oswald Ph.D.

&

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Besides Half the Sky, which I have discussed several times on here (this book is about more than just human trafficking, but includes chapters on it), I decided to provide more resources about the subject. As the founders of The Emancipation Network, which I wrote about yesterday, can attest to, hearing or reading about actual victims and their stories is much more powerful than seeing a bunch of statistics. The statistics about child sex trafficking are frightening, but when you hear individual stories, it’s more powerful. Look for the following books at your nearest bookstore, library, or even online:

“Human trafficking is an ugly crime. Its brutalized victims generate vast profits, and many of them are being used and abused in the cities and towns where we live. Human trafficking is also a hidden crime. Governments, human rights groups, and all the rest of us, are struggling to understand how it fits into the lives of our communities and economies. Now we have help: Alexis Aronowitz has written a lucid and concise introduction to human trafficking. Based on impeccable research and years of experience, she shines a light on the modern slave trade. This book is perfect for student and educational use, or for anyone wanting a clear and unbiased understanding of human trafficking today.”
–Dr. Kevin Bales
Academic and world reknowned expert on modern-day slavery
Author of best-seller, Disposable People
President of Free the Slaves

Award-winning journalist David Batstone reveals the story of a new generation of 21st century abolitionists and their heroic campaign to put an end to human bondage. In his accessible and inspiring book, Batstone carefully weaves the narratives of activists and those in bondage in a way that not only raises awareness of the modern-day slave trade, but also serves as a call to action.
–Amazon Product Description

“I approached this book with a certain weariness. Having worked on the subject of sex trafficking for many years, I was unenthusiastic about yet another exposé or cri de coeur from a business executive turned human rights advocate. I could not have been more wrong. This is a unique and inspiring book–an honest, lucid, and immensely intelligent account of a devastating yet pervasive aspect of contemporary globalization. It deserves to be widely read by anyone who wants to understand one of the most persistent and complex human rights violations of our times.” — Jacqueline Bhabha, Harvard Law School

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photo by Beverly & Pack www.flickr.com

July 4th is always a good day for me. I love summer, I love festivals, and I love BBQ. I also love my husband, and it’s our anniversary–so even more reason to celebrate. I don’t always take the time to really think about what we are celebrating on July 4th; but this year, I thought about it more than usual. Probably because of this blog and the information I’ve been sharing about helping girls and women around the world, probably because of reading Half the Sky, and probably because of my two experiences building houses in Juarez, Mexico. Well, whatever the reason, here are some thoughts I had on freedom and education.

There’s no point in telling an American child or teen how lucky they are to go to school, to get a free and usually good public education, and to most of the time have a safe way to get to school. I know there are places in the United States where this isn’t necessarily true, and this is a disgrace. But for the most part, our kids are lucky to go to school and get an education. Some kids and teens are even starting to miss it about now if they go to a traditional school with a nine-month calendar. They’re ready for structure, friends, and some brain challenges.

When I was in Juarez, Mexico in a poor, desert community, kids didn’t get to go to school every day. If they did go every day, they went for a couple hours, and that was it. The reason was there was not enough room, supplies, teachers for all the kids in the area to go to school at the same time. So they had to stagger their schedules. As we all know, education is one of the best ways to fight poverty. Without an education, a person has a harder time getting a job and unfortunately, having a child at a too-young age. Kids in Juarez liked the days they went to school and wanted to go more–at least the ones I talked to with my limited (very limited!) Spanish. It’s a freedom they don’t have readily provided for them.

In Half the Sky, there are chapters and stories that discuss how dangerous it is for children to make it to school in some areas. The walk is far and hard, and they have to worry about being attacked by gangs or other tribes or criminals. They have to worry about being kidnapped and sold into the human trafficking system. And so their parent’s don’t let them go. Their parents would rather keep them safe. Many parents have no money to send their children to school, and education is not free or a freedom in these places.

I’m not saying we need to change our kids’ opinions of school, but we can help them see the good points and maybe their opinion will change on their own. We can talk about how happy we were to go to school and get an education, to pursue a career that makes us happy and pays for the things in our houses. If we have older children who can handle some of the heartbreaking stories in Half the Sky, we can share them. And we can do this at any time. We can be thankful for our freedoms at any time–not just at the beginning of July.

I’m reading more and more about modern-day abolitionists. I love this term! Many of them help people out of slavery and poverty and do this by providing an education. I’ll feature one tomorrow. Here are a few children’s books about freedom–most dealing with the past, but you can always apply these concepts to the world today:

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A boy named Zach Hunter was 12 years old and a seventh grader when he learned in school that slavery still exists in modern day times. He was horrified as he learned more about the situation around the world and formed a group called: Loose Change to Loosen Chains (nicknamed LC2LC). In his first year, he raised $8,500. It’s now 7 years later, and this organization has gone crazy! The International Justice Mission, which I’ve talked about on this blog before, now has the LC2LC program as part of their anti-slavery movement.

According to Real Simple magazine, there’s $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Like it says on the International Justice Mission website, “Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!” Loose Change to Loosen Chains has collected a fraction, and they are fighting human trafficking with it.

So, a seventh-grader, Zach Hunter, started this; and in 2007, when he was in high school, he presented to the White House a petition with over 100,000 signatures on it to encourage politicians to do more to stop trafficking. He wrote a book: Be the Change: Your Guide To Ending Slavery and Changing the World. He speaks to schools and church groups across the country about trafficking. If one person can do all of this, think about what 10 or 20 motivated modern-day abolitionists can do.

If Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains sounds like something you are interested in for your youth group, family, classroom, or community group, then go here to order materials. You will get a kit and information that will help you get started collecting loose change in your community to stop slavery and human trafficking today!

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Sometimes when we talk to kids about issues going on in the world, like I wrote about on Monday with my stepson and the visiting priest from Africa who needs money for his church, it is hard for them to understand what we mean by freedom–especially if they live in a free country like the United States. It’s hard for them to imagine that there are places where children don’t have the freedom to go to school or church or the doctor when they are sick. Young children, especially, need concrete examples of what freedom means, especially if they are taking part in any type of donation activity (like collecting pennies for an organization like Loose Change to Loosen Chains).

This book, This is the Dream written by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander and illustrated by James Ransome, is a great picture book that can illustrate the concept of freedom. What I especially like about this bright and colorful book is the way it shows the United States before the Civil Rights movement, then some of the Civil Rights leaders, and then the way the country is now–with freedom for everyone. In the year 2010, the fact that black people used to drink from a separate fountain or ride at the back of the bus might be particularly shocking for our children since less than 50 years later, our president is black.

Here are a few verses from this great book:

“These are the fountains that stand in the square, and the black-and-white signs say who will drink there.”

“These are the leaders whose powerful voices lift up marchers demanding new choices.”

“This is the fountain that stands in the square and the unwritten rule is to take turns and share.”

Love it!!

In order for children to understand what it looks like when there’s not freedom and what it looks like when there is, you can use a picture book like This is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander. Then you can explain to them how around the world in the 21st century, there are still people living without freedom, and we are collecting pennies to try and help them. The Civil Rights leaders helped in the United States, and now it’s our turn!

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Yesterday, I discussed the book Three Cups of Tea. When I posted the link on my Facebook page, people praised the book, and some people had actually heard Greg Mortenson speak on college campuses. So, if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your to-do list. If you want to share his message with your children or your classroom, then check out this book: Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea.

Not only is the story of Greg Mortenson told simply in this picture book, but the murals by Susan L. Roth are fantastic. Children will love to look at these illustrations over and over again–I do! The story goes like this: The children of Korphe, a village in the Pakistan mountains, have school outside and do their lessons with sticks. A teacher comes to teach them 3 times a week. One day, Dr. Greg stumbles into their village (because he was trying to climb K2 and failed). The villagers keep him there until he recovers. When he leaves, he asks the wisest man, Haji Ali, what he can do to help the village to repay them for their kindness, and Haji Ali says, “Listen to the wind.”

When Greg listens to the wind, he hears the voices of the children outside doing their lessons, and he gets the idea to build them a school. He promises to come back with materials to build a school, and he does. However, he realizes they will need to build a bridge first to get the materials to the remote village, and they do that, too. In the end of the book, the children have a school building, and their teacher can now afford to come every day to teach them.

In the back of the book are real photos of Dr. Greg, the children, and the villagers. There are also facts such as now Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute have built over 131 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. They educate 58,000 children–40,000 are girls. Children can also read how in Pakistan and Afghanistan, one penny buys a pencil and $1.00 pays for an education for a month! Students, their families, and/or classrooms are encouraged to check out the Pennies for Peace program at www.penniesforpeace.org.

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What some children go through in our world is unbelievable, scary, tragic. It is hard for some of us, especially in the United States and Canada, to imagine how life can be like this–how people can kill one another over religion and race, how people can be so greedy to kill for land or cash crops. But it happens, and children are affected every day.

I found this book, Gervelie’s Journey: A Refugee Diary, at our local library, and I recommend it to everyone. Teachers–share it with your students; parents–share it with your children. It tells the story of Gervelie, who was born in the Republic of Congo and lived in a nice house in Brazzaville, until her family had to flee to safety when fighting broke out in 1997. First, she moved around Africa with her dad, then her mom, and then her grandmother. But whenever she seemed to settle in a new place, trouble started again. In 2001, when fighting occurred in the Ivory Coast, she and her dad fled to Europe. When they finally arrived in England, her dad asked for asylum. In England, Gervelie has been in three different cities, finally settling in Norwich, England.

This book is POWERFUL because it is told in first person–in Gervelie’s words. When the fighting first broke out in Brazzaville, she was 2 years old. When she finally landed at a home with her dad in Norwich, England, she was 9 years old. Can you imagine all of this war, fighting, moving and so on happening to you when you were between the ages of 2 and 9? Can you imagine not seeing or talking to your mom? What about leaving your home and not being able to go back for fear of being killed? All of this has happened to Gervelie.

The other thing that makes this book so powerful is the way that June Allan’s illustrations are mixed with actual photographs of Gervelie and war-torn Africa. Putting a real face with a true story is something that kids and adults WON’T forget.

When you are talking to kids about giving to others or starting service learning projects in your school or home or church, think about sharing books like Gervelie’s Journey because they will help children understand whom they are working for.

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SALTYPIE
By Tim Tingle
Illustrated by Karen Clarkson


Product Details
10-digit ISBN 1-933693-67-3
13-digit ISBN 9781933693675
Format Hardback
Language English
Page Count 40
Product Dimensions 8.5" x 11" x .25"
Publication Date June 1, 2010



Bee stings on the backside! And that was just the beginning. Tim was about to enter a world of the past, with bullying boys and stones and Indian spirits of long ago. But they were real spirits, real stones, and very real memories…

In this powerful family saga, Choctaw author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family’s move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, Texas. Spanning fifty years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother—from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Tingle says, “Stories of modern Indian families rarely grace the printed page. Long before I began writing, I knew this story must be told.” Seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy, Saltypie is the story of one family’s efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America. More than an Indian story, Saltypie is an American story, of hardships shared and the joy of overcoming.

Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a sought-after storyteller for folklore festivals, library conferences, and schools across America. At the request of Choctaw Chief Pyle, Tim tells a story to the tribe every year before Pyle’s State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering. Tim’s previous and often reprinted books from Cinco Puntos Press—Walking the Choctaw Road and Crossing Bok Chitto—received numerous awards nationally, but what makes Tim the proudest is the recognition he receives from the American Indian communities around the country.

Karen Clarkson, a Choctaw tribal member, is a self-taught artist who specializes in portraits of Native Americans. She did not start painting until after her children had left home; she has since been widely acclaimed as a Native American painter. She lives in San Leandro, California.

MR. MENDOZA'S PAINTBRUSH
by Luis Alberto Urrea
illustrated by Christopher Cardinale

Product Details
10-digit ISBN 1-933693-23-1
13-digit ISBN 9781933693231
Format Paperback
Language English
Page Count 64
Product Dimensions 7" x 10" x .5"
Publication Date June 1, 2010